Barriers to Effective Group Processes - Coursework Example

Topic: Barriers to Effective Group Processes Student’s name Course name Lecturer’s name 22nd October 2011 Introduction Group dynamics can be defined as the study of groups. A group comprises of two or more people associated with each other through social relationships. Since, they influence and interact with each other; several dynamic processes are developed by groups in the organization. This differentiates them from the mere collection of individuals in any given setting (McShane, Olekalns and Travaglione, 2010). The processes that characterise groups and that help to differentiate groups from collection of individuals include relations, roles, need to belong, norms, norms, social influence and behavioural influence or effects (McShane, Olekalns and Travaglione, 2010). Group process is therefore the understanding of the individual’s behaviour in groups. Groups are formed by people for diverse reasons and thus group process is a phenomenon that occurs in different types of groups such as study groups, prayer and encounter groups. Among the dimensions of group process include relationship/roles, patterns of influence, patterns of coordination and communication, level of effectiveness in the group, handling of conflict in the group, dominance patterns such as who defers and who leads and finally the emotional aspect of the group (Davidson et al, 2006). It is imperative to note that groups undergo through a series of stages in their development before they become useful to perform the purpose or objectives for which they were formed. The four states of group development include forming stage, storming stage, norming stage, performing stage, celebration and closing stage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers to effective group functioning in modern organisations as well as the characteristics of highly effective groups. The essay will also provide the steps that can be taken to enhance group effectiveness. Barriers to effective group functioning Modern organisations are characterised by different types of groups that are formed to perform certain objectives and purposes for the benefit of the organization. Such groups include task groups bestowed with the responsibility of providing solutions to particular problems that arise in the organisation (Hunt, 2006). The project group is bestowed with the responsibility of undertaking and execution of projects in the organisation within the stipulated deadlines and within the allocated budget. In spite of the many groups that exist in the organisation, several barriers may hinder the proper functioning of the groups and this may impact negatively on the effectiveness of the group function in the organisation (Hunt, 2010). The subsequent section will identify explore some of the barriers to effective group functioning. a) Communication barriers Communication is one of the factors that lead to the success of any group in the organisation. The reason for this is that every group activity involved in the group process must be communicated to the group members. In this respect, communication is an important ingredient for the success and effectiveness of the groups in any given setting. Contemporary organisations draw their members and employees from diverse backgrounds due to the increasing global influence of the business environment (Taylor & Hansen, 2005). One of the common communication barrier experienced in modern organisations results from language difference between the members of the group. For example, a task group may be formed of members from American, Japanese and Chinese languages which make it difficult for the group members to communicate effectively with one another (Katz, 1974 & McShane, Olekalns and Travaglione, 2010). As a result, the functions of the group are affected through misinterpretation of information and unnecessary delays caused by lack of understanding between the group members. Other factors that may lead to communication barrier include selective hearing, ignoring non-verbal language and lack of clarity in communication (to mention a few). Hence, communication barrier may impact negatively on the functions of the group due to unnecessary delays caused by lack of understanding of the language that might require interpretation (Carl & Fritz, 1990). b) Cultural differences Modern organisations are made up of people drawn from diverse cultural backgrounds. The norms and practices of performing different functions that prevail in different cultures may act as barriers to effective group functioning. This is particularly the case when the group members drag their cultural norms and practices into the organisation. Needless to state is that fact that some cultural norms and practices are deeply entrenched into individuals that it becomes difficult to abandon such norms and practices. For instance, the business cultures in Japan and America are totally different and integration of the two cultures in a group is an uphill task (Kotter, 1990). When such cultures are dragged into the group they hinder the proper and timely execution of the anticipated objectives because people begin to do things according to their cultural affiliations rather than working as a group. Hence, cultural difference is one of the great barriers to effective group functioning in modern organisations. c) Lack of information Adequate information is a great aspect of a group success. However, lack of information is also another major cause of group failure and hence ineffective group functioning in modern organisations. The prevalence of information in the group is necessitated by the different expertise held by individuals that make up the group. Lack of expertise in the group transforms the group into a mere collection of people because the group is rendered useless in attaining its intended objectives. A group made up individuals from one field of expertise is subjected to a single line of thinking which limits its potential in addressing and meeting its intended objectives (Mintzberg, 1975). The contemporary business environment calls for a holistic and global approach to issues in the organisation and thus the lack of adequate information due to lack of adequate expertise in the group is one of the great barriers to the effective group functioning in modern organisations. d) Unclear goals Groups are formed to achieve certain goals for the general benefit of the organisation. The goals of the entire group as well as individual goals must be clearly stipulated in order to achieve the intended objectives (Rickards & Moger, 2000). Unclear group and individual goals results into confusion which obstructs the proper execution of group processes. Unclear goals results into the group members pulling in different directions paving way for increased conflicts between the individual group members. This goes along way into affecting the timely execution of processes as well as affecting the trust of members towards each other (Carl & Fritz Jules, 1990). The end result is that the group becomes ineffective and expensive to maintain because the anticipated objectives are not achieved as intended. Characteristics of highly effective groups a) Clear unity of purpose A highly effective group begins with the commitment of the group members towards achieving the anticipated objectives. In this regard, a highly effective group is characterised by the level of commitment of the individual members towards achieving the planned and anticipated goals and objectives within the stipulated time frame and within the allocated budget (Carl & Fritz Jules, 1990). This is demonstrated by the timely achievement of single objectives within the overall timeframe as well as sticking within the budgets allocated to single objectives. b) Group-consciousness about operations A highly effective group is characterised by existence of approaches the group intends to use or apply in order to achieve the intended objectives. This includes proper instituted mechanism for conflict resolution and problem solving and the existence of norms, rules and expectations that guide the operations and functions of the group (Carl & Fritz Jules, 1990). In other words, the group structures that necessitate the achievement of the intended objectives demonstrate the readiness and effectiveness of group in carrying out its operations. The group norms, rules and expectations form the landmark upon which the group stops to evaluate its operations and gather insight on the future directions. c) Presence of healthy criticism and general agreements Healthy criticism is perceived as a pathway towards successful processes in the group. Criticism helps the group members to think beyond their expertise cocoons by exploring a wide range of alternatives before settling on an issue. Hence, healthy criticism is important in widening the thinking realm of the group members that helps to identify the most appropriate alternative that can help in attaining the intended benefits (Carl & Fritz Jules, 1990). Healthy criticism results into a general agreement in the group which eliminates the burden of responsibility being heaped on an individual in the group. General agreement means that every individual in the group is involved in the group processes and his/her participation is equally recognised as worthwhile in attaining the group objectives. d) Democratic participation Democratic participation refers to an environment in which individual members of the group bear the same weight and opportunity in the group processes. This includes airing opinions and being involved in the decision making (Zaleznik, 1977). Democratic participation of group members eliminates conflicts between the group members because every member of the group is equally recognized and hence there are no superiors and inferiors in the group. It also means that individual members are free to provide their input any at stage of the group process in order to enhance the operations of the group. Enhancing group effectiveness As explained there above, different barriers hinder the effectiveness of group functions. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the group these barriers must be overcome. Group effectiveness can therefore be enhanced through the following steps; i) Training and development Human behaviour in the organisation as well as in groups can be shaped through training and development of people. Training and development empowers people to look at things differently and this increases this increases group cohesiveness and integration (Taylor & Hansen, 2005). For example, through training and development people are meant to appreciate the cultural and other differences that might exists between them and take such differences as common points of strength rather than weaknesses (Rickards & Moger, 2000). Additionally, training and development updates group members with information in their respective fields which increases the effectiveness of the groups. ii) Mechanisms for conflict resolutions One of the major contributing factors to the failure of groups is conflict. It is imperative to understand that conflict is inevitable in the group and thus instituting proper mechanism for conflict resolution helps to resolve conflicts amicably in the group (Carl & Fritz Jules, 1990). Amicable conflict resolution eliminates unnecessary delays in the decision making processes in the group. Amicable conflict resolution mechanisms also help to define clear cut-goals and roles of individual members in the group (Henry, 1981). Conclusion Effective group functioning is affected by different barriers. This paper has explored such barriers that include communication, cultural, lack of information and unclear group goals. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a group a number of factors can be observed or assessed. These factors include the clear unit of purpose demonstrated by the group, group-consciousness about its operations, presence of healthy criticisms and general agreements as well as democratic environment that allows for a wide participation of individual group members. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the group, training and development as well as proper structures for conflict resolution can be applied in the group. References Carl, R. & Fritz Jules R. (1990), Barriers and gateways to communication. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Review. Davidson, P., Simon, A., Gottschalk, L., Hunt, J., Wood, G. & Griffin, R. 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